How to Make Windows 10 Work for You: Optimizing The World’s Most Used Operating System Without Effort

Windows often gets a bad rap. As one of the most commonly used operating systems around, everyone and their mother (literally) practically uses Windows. It’s the operating system available on most computers. Whether you’re an avid Windows fan or simply resigned to free cell phone spy using the operating system, understanding how to make Windows truly your own is key. Here’s a few tips and life hacks on how to optimize your Windows 10 experience and get the most out of your operating system.

Customize Your Start Menu

Your start menu can now be completely customized so it better fits your needs. Want a bigger menu? Drag and click the start menu from the corners. Hate live tiles? Just right click and remove. Your start menu now belongs to you, through and through, and you’ll be able to access everything from it, including apps and whatever other features you allow to remain on your start menu. Another handy thing to remember? If there’s a couple apps you use more frequently than others, you can right click on them and save them as live tiles on your start menu so you can quickly access them without having to scroll through your entire start menu.

Optimize Your Quick Actions

If you want to really get the most out of your computer, enable quick actions. These allow you to conduct basic tasks with only a few keys and swipes. To locate your quick actions menu in order to customize your quick actions, simply visit the Action Center area in notifications. You can go to settings and toggle over to the notifications and activity tab to customize and add new quick actions if desired.

Hide Your Login Information

One annoying feature about Windows 10 is that anyone who has physical access to your computer can see your email address and photo. But there’s an easy fix if you’re concerned about your privacy. You will need to enter your Registry Editor and add a couple quick lines of code to do so successfully but you can find a complete guide here on how to do it within a matter of moments.

Get the Most Out of Cortana

Like Siri before her, Microsoft’s own personal assistant Cortana has the potential to be a helpful tool, if you’re willing to spend a few minutes setting her up. Visit the Cortana menu, which can be accessed through the start menu in your taskbar. To set up “Hey Cortana”, hop over to her settings, select the “Hey Cortana” option and select the “Learn my voice” option. You’ll then be given a step-by-step walkthrough to help you set up Cortana. You can even edit your personal information by visiting the About Me section in Cortana’s Notebook menu, allowing you to add favorite addresses, contacts, and more, which will then allow you to ask Cortana how to get home, if she can send an email to your wife, and so on.

Virtual Desktops

For those of us who like to optimize our work to the limits, Windows 10 allows you to open up Virtual Desktops in a snap. You’ll notice a multi-screen option by the search box in the toolbar. Press the plus icon, which is located to the right of the taskbar. This allows you to create a new desktop and you can effortlessly switch between desktops just by pressing that multiscreen button again and selecting the desktop you would like to use.

By taking advantage of some of these tips, you can truly get the most out of Windows 10. Feel free to share your thoughts below.